4 reasons you should work on campus during college

If you’re a student wanting to earn extra cash or gain real-world experience to bolster your resume, finding a job is an obvious priority. While your inclination may be to find a job off campus at a local business, consider working on campus instead for immeasurable benefits.

“For several years, research has indicated that students who work on campus perform better academically, integrate socially, benefit from a caring work environment where supervisors are older and enjoy mentoring their students,” says Jerry Houser, associate dean and director of the career center at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. “Student staff make friends with other student workers in the same office,” Houser adds, pointing out that an on-campus job is ideal for freshmen who are trying to adjust to college life.

If you’re still not convinced, here are four reasons to consider an on-campus job during college.

1. It keeps academics a priority

If you work off campus, your boss doesn’t have a real stake in your education. You may get lucky and get someone who will be flexible if you need to miss a shift to study, but not all off-campus jobs are forgiving of a student’s hectic schedule.

“On-campus jobs allow the student flexibility to be more committed to their studies than a student who is leaving the campus to work,” says Jennifer McGill, director of career services at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi.

Matthew Atkinson, a freshman at Mississippi College, vouches for this advantage. “One of the best benefits of working on campus is the flexibility,” he says. “Each semester I am able to adjust my hours as needed based on the classes I am taking.” Atkinson adds that his on-campus boss is always willing to revise his schedule if it conflicts with academics.

2. It enhances your education

An off-campus job may pay the bills, but it might not offer helpful experience in your field of study. Conversely, “working on campus will increase your skill set and prepare you further for your life after college,” says Patti Goff, assistant vice president of student affairs of Providence College in Rhode Island.

McGill adds, “Working an on-campus job allows students to gain professional skills while staying in the context of their learning environment. For the majority of on-campus jobs, the supervisors genuinely care to continue to create an experiential learning environment for their student workers.”

Atkinson, the Mississippi student, says he not only has developed relationships across campus through his job, but is also gaining practical experience related to his major. “These projects allow me to use what I’m learning in the classroom by providing me with real-world experience — something that an off-campus job would most likely not offer a college freshman,” he says.

3. It offers unbeatable convenience.

“The benefit of working on campus is that students have the opportunity to find employment in a location that is already convenient for them, and structure their work time around their classes and other commitments,” says Michael Fischer, interim president of Trinity University in San Antonio.

That convenience can save time and money, Goff says. “The most obvious benefit of working on campus is that students don’t have to factor in as much commuting or parking time, depending on the size of their campus and expense, into their busy student schedule,” she says.

4. It helps you engage with the campus.

College students, especially freshmen, benefit from feeling connected to their campus community. “Working on campus means you are engaged, which has become the keystone of academic success and campus integration,” says Willamette’s Houser.

Madison Montemayor, a sophomore at the school, agrees: “I love working on campus because it is a great way for me to help other students and stay active in my community while learning professional skills before I venture into the real world,” she says.

Fischer, at Trinity University, says on-campus jobs can boost engagement several ways, including “by staffing events, assisting with cherished traditions and being a resource for their peers.”

Emily Starbuck Crone writes for NerdWallet, a website that helps consumers make smarter financial decisions. NerdWallet is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

This article comes from The USA TODAY College Contributor network. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY. You understand that we have no obligation to monitor any discussion forums, blogs, photo- or video-sharing pages, or other areas of the Site through which users can supply information or material. However, we reserve the right at all times, in our sole discretion, to screen content submitted by users and to edit, move, delete, and/or refuse to accept any content that in our judgment violates these Terms of Service or is otherwise unacceptable or inappropriate, whether for legal or other reasons.